‘Easy to conceive – but complicated to put in place’

Much of government’s Maritime
Transport Policy centres around the
creation of a South African ship’s
register, the registration of a South
African “fleet” and the realignment
of South African trade in order to
support that fleet,” Andrew Robinson
of the Maritime Law Association and
maritime law specialist at Deneys
Reitz told delegates.
“But while government has a
broad understanding of the potential
benefits of a ship’s register and the
operation of a local shipping line, not
much attention has been paid to the
specifics of creating such a register,”
he said.
It would need to be attractive both
to shipowners and operators currently
registered elsewhere as well as to new
shipowners and operators, he added.
“And since registries compete
furiously for business, two issues
prevail – namely efficiency and
costs.”
He beli eves government needs
to consult with an internationally
recognised registry administrator in
order to establish exactly what will
be required to make it attractive to
shipowners. “The concept of creating
a South African register is easy to
conceive but extremely complicated
to put in place.”